Wednesday, August 30, 2006

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 30, 2006

HHS [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services] To Purchase 10,000 Courses Of Anthrax Immune Globulin

“The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it will purchase 10,000 therapeutic courses of treatment of Anthrax Immune Globulin (AIG) from Cangene Corporation of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, for a total of about $143.8 million. This acquisition is via modifications to an existing HHS contract for anthrax therapeutics awarded to Cangene last September. Deliveries of AIG to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile are expected to begin in 2007.” (U.S. Medicine, 29Aug06)
http://www.usmedicine.com

/dailyNews.cfm?dailyID=292

Utah County signs deal to use LDS (Latter Day Saints) buildings in health emergency

“Utah County has entered into an agreement with the LDS Church to use church buildings in the case of a public health emergency. County commissioners signed paperwork Tuesday allowing county health officials to staff LDS Church facilities to administer vaccines, immunizations or other medical needs in the case of a bioterrorism attack, pandemic influenza or other health crisis.” (The Salt Lake Tribune, 29Aug06, Todd Hollingshead)
http://www.sltrib.com
/portlet/article/html/fragments
/print_article.jsp?article=4255587

Potent Anthrax Inhibitor Tested in Animals

“A new anthrax toxin inhibitor designed to fight antibiotic-resistant strains performed successfully in laboratory and animal tests, a new study says. This new inhibitor was developed by scientists at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., and at the University of Toronto, and reported on in the Aug. 28 online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This new inhibitor blocks the receptors where anthrax toxin attaches in the body. The inhibitor is able to bind to multiple sites on the host receptor, which makes it much more potent than an inhibitor that binds to a single site, the researchers said.”
(MedicineNet.com, 28Aug06, Health Day News)
http://www.medicinenet.com
/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=63761

Bavarian Nordic A/S Has Been Granted Another US Patent on MVA [Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara]

“Bavarian Nordic A/S announced today that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a patent to the company which further strengthens its intellectual property position on MVA. With this patent Bavarian Nordic gets exclusivity to manufacture MVA-based vaccines for vaccination of small children. The new patent (‘Modified vaccinia virus Ankara for the vaccination of neonates’ - US Patent No. 7,097,842) covers use of MVA derived vaccinia viruses for inducing a general immune stimulation, including the use of MVA-BN® used for protection against smallpox in neonates, i.e. young children with an immature immune system according to the patent. The granted claims are directed to inducing a general immune stimulation in neonates and, thus, the patented technology cover the high risk group of the young, particularly young children with an immature immune system. This population of individuals is difficult to vaccinate because their immune systems are not fully developed and are therefore as such at risk from viral based vaccines.” (PharmaLive, 29Aug06)
http://www.pharmalive.com
/News/index.cfm?articleid=368397&categoryid=32

Army system reaches milestone at Pine Bluff Arsenal: RRS [Rapid Response System] prepares for final project to destroy chemical agent identification sets

“Rapid Response System (RRS) operators celebrated a major milestone here [at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas] Wednesday when they completed destruction of the largest known inventory of K941 chemical agent identification sets (CAIS). The milestone marked destruction of 4,906 K941 items by the Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Project's RRS operation. A total of 481 additional CAIS items remain with scheduled completion in October after a brief changeover procedure. The RRS began operations here in August 2005 for a scheduled multi-year mission to destroy more than 5,000 CAIS items. These items were once used to train Soldiers and civilians to identify and handle chemical agents.” (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency, 29Aug06)
http://www.cma.army.mil
/docviewerframe.aspx?docid=003675936

Leaking mustard bulk container detected in storage igloo

“Toxic chemical materials handlers moved a bulk-storage container leaking mustard agent vapor Thursday, to another structure where they replaced plugs and valves with new hardware today. The leaking container was identified as a source of agent vapor following routine monitoring operations in a storage igloo at Deseret Chemical Depot.” (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency, 28Aug06)
http://www.cma.army.mil/
docviewerframe.aspx?docid=003675929

Chemical Warfare Protection is Developed

“U.S. scientists say they've created a fabric with polyurethane fibers that may prove a boon to protection against chemical warfare. Seshadri Ramkumar, an assistant professor at The Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech, and graduate student Thandavamoorthy Subbiah discovered the honeycomb polyurethane nanofabric by using electrospinning. The nanofabric, created by exposing polyurethane to high voltage, cannot only trap toxic chemicals but also be used in a hazardous material suit.
These fibers are tiny, Ramkumar said. ‘They're about 1,000 times smaller than microfibers. We are able to develop honeycomb-like structures with this method, which makes a mesh within a mesh. This may not only provide increased surfaces area but also can trap toxic chemicals more efficiently.’” (Red Orbit, 28Aug06)
http://www.redorbit.com
/news/science/635483
/chemical_warfare_protection_
is_developed/index.html?source=r_science

State [of Massachusetts] to conduct terrorism drill next month

“Massachusetts plans to conduct a wide-ranging anti-
terrorism drill next month that will cover a number of potential nightmares in the Boston area ranging from a threat to an LNG facility to a ‘dirty’ bomb at a mall. The drill, expected to be announced soon, will take place early Sunday morning, Sept. 17, state and local officials told The Boston Globe, which cited a memo outlining the scenarios included in the drill. Conducted by the Executive Office of Public Safety, and Boston’s mayoral Office of Homeland Security, it will include federal, state and local agencies as well as hospitals and the National Guard to test response to a fast-moving series of threats. They will be tested on how public safety responders are able to deal with a bombing in which secondary explosives could be planted in other locations.” (Boston Herald, 29Aug06, AP)
http://news.bostonherald.com
/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=154975

Homeland Security planning training day [in Missouri]

“A bomb in Maryville’s historic court house? Burlington Junction under attack? Chemical weapons at Mozingo lake?
Terrorist attacks in Nodaway County?
This is just a drill. The State Emergency Management Agency is planning a large-scale emergency training day for northwest Missouri, and only the people in the highest authority positions know the full extent of what will be covered in the drills. The giant training exercise will mobilize seven separate
Homeland Security Response Teams in and around northwest Missouri, and pit them against several hypothetical emergency situations.” (Maryville Daily Forum, 28Aug06, John Ludwig) http://www.maryvilledailyforum.com
/articles/2006/08/28/news/news2.txt

Protective suit shields soldiers from toxic agents

“Canadian defence scientists have designed a first-of-its-kind protective suit to deal with terrorist chemical and biological attacks, while giving
military personnel the same freedom of movement as with a regular combat uniform. Current military protective gear, often worn on top of a uniform, is considered bulky and stiflingly hot and can limit the physical performance of a soldier. But the new suit, dubbed CB Plus, is similar in appearance to a standard combat uniform and allows troops the same range of motion they would enjoy with their day-to-day uniforms. The unique suit, which also protects against toxic industrial agents, has sparked interest from the military in both the U.S. and Britain, as well as from other NATO nations. DRDC, the Canadian military's science agency, has been developing CB Plus for about the last five years. It would be used by soldiers as their standard uniform when there is the danger of a chemical, biological or toxic industrial agent threat.” (The Star Phoenix; 28Aug06; David Pugliese, CanWest News Service)
http://www.canada.com
/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/national
/story.html?id=
0f20579a-1348-4647-9319-e813f904b0d1

Security stepped up at checkpoints to block smuggling of illegal items “Security at the Singapore checkpoints has been heightened to prevent the smuggling of undesirable persons, weapons, explosives and other security items into the country. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) says its officers are trained to look out for irregularities in travel documents and travelers bearing false identities. ICA has also boosted its counter-terrorism capabilities by acquiring portable equipment to detect explosives, radiation and chemical warfare agents at the land, sea and air checkpoints.” (MediaCorp News; 30Aug06; Rita Zahara, Channel NewAsia)
http://www.channelnewsasia.com
/stories/singaporelocalnews
/view/227641/1/.html

Stress and Law Enforcement

My 24 years in law enforcement I taught me the importance of maintaining a physical, mental and emotional balance. The streets, the hours and even the supervisors can push you toward an imbalance. I endorse the products and the business model of this organization as a means of restoring personal balance.
The Balance Company

Police-Writers.com adds the 95th Police Author

August 30, 2006 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to police officers turned authors, has added its 95th police author, Massad F. Ayoob. Massad is a Captain with the Grantham Police Department, New Hampshire. He has taught police tactics and civilian self-defense in a variety of venues since 1974. Massad Ayoob is presently Director of Lethal Force Institute (LFI), which trains 800 to 1,200 people each year in judicious use of deadly force, armed and unarmed combat, threat management for police, and advanced officer survival. Through the institute, Massad coordinates a dozen LFI staff instructors and assistant instructors in four countries.

In addition to being the founder of the
Lethal Force Institute, Massad Ayoob, is an acknowledged expert on the use of deadly force in self-defense by civilians. He has long advocated for the armed citizen, however, his experience as a police officer illustrated to him how poorly the average citizen understood the laws concerning deadly force. In an attempt to correct the dangerous misconceptions on the subject, he wrote “In the Gravest Extreme.” The success of that book help establish LFI as a full-time training academy

The most famous LFI course is Judicious Use Of Deadly Force (LFI1). The course consists of 40 hours of immersion training that goes well beyond law school and the police academy in the critical decision-making area of use of deadly force. Topics of the course include prevention, intervention and aftermath management. Moreover, the course includes: when the citizen can and cannot use a gun in self defense; tactics for home defense; street gunfighting tactics; how to take a criminal suspect at gunpoint; selection of guns, ammo, and holsters; psychological preparation for violent encounters; and, justifying your actions in court. Finally, intensive combat shooting comprises 40% of the course.

Massad Ayoob appears selectively as a court accepted expert witness in the areas of dynamics of violent encounters weapons and weapons/self defense/police training, and survival and threat management tactics and principles. In addition to the sixteen books he has authored, he has also penned over 1,000 articles on firearms, combat techniques, self-defense, and legal issues; and, has served in an editorial capacity for Guns Magazine, American Handgunner, Gun Week and Combat Handguns.

Police-Writers.com now lists 95 police authors and their 289 books in six categories.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Police-Writers.com adds the 94th Police Author

August 29, 2006 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to police officers turned authors, has added its 94th police author, Loren W. Christensen. Loren’s experience in law enforcement began in 1967 when he served in the army as a military policeman, stationed in both the United States and in Vietnam. In 1972, after leaving the military, he joined the Portland Police Bureau (Oregon). As a rookie he began teaching defensive tactics to other officers. As a police officer he has worked the training unit, the gang unit, dignitary body guarding, and all the precincts as a street officer.

In his retirement,
Loren Christensen is a prolific magazine and book writer, former editor of an award winning monthly newspaper called The Rap Sheet, a high-ranking martial artist and a teacher of martial arts to both law enforcement officials and the general public.

His articles have appeared in a variety of magazines, to include Soldier of Fortune, Warriors, Bodybuilding, Muscle Up, Blackbelt, Karate Illustrated, Karate International, Police, Law and Order, Chief, The Police Marksman, American Survival Guide, Police and Security News, Martial arts Training and the American Police Beat.

Loren began his martial arts training in 1965 and over the years he has earned 10 black belts, 7 in karate, 2 in jujitsu, 1 in arnis. As an author of 32 books, Christensen has received high praise for his easy-to-read, informative writing style from readers and book reviewers. He has authored books such as
Deadly Force Encounters: What Cops Need To Know To Mentally And Physically Prepare For And Survive A Gunfight, Gangbangers: Understanding The Deadly Minds Of America's Street Gangs and Winning With American Kata: The New Breed of Competitors

Police-Writers.com now lists 94 police authors and their 273 books in six categories.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Police-Writers.com adds the 93rd Police Author

August 27, 2006 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to police officers turned authors, has added its 93rd police author, Will Beall. Beall has been a police officer with the Los Angeles Police Department for over eight years. He is currently assigned to the 77th Division. His assignments have included patrol and the anti-gang unit, and recently he began working homicide.

When asked about why he started writing, Beall said, “I've always been a compulsive scribbler, writing everything down that I see and feel. If I had more artistic talent, maybe I would sketch things. I've been doing this forever, since long before I came onto the job. But when I made the decision to become a cop, I actually decided that I had to put that behind me. My first week on the job, every night when I came home from work, I would just talk to my girlfriend at the time, until two in the morning, about everything that happened all day. So, within a week of working in 77th, I realized I needed to write about this. And I started filling up notebooks and legal pads. I don't remember exactly when I decided to write the book, but somewhere along the line I had this idea of doing a story about this kid who was just starting out.”

In Beall’s debut novel,
L.A. Rex, “As far as everyone in the squad room knows, Ben Halloran is completely fresh to the streets of the 77th Division, a soft kid from the West Side who's decided to become a cop and just happened to draw the hardest neighborhood in L.A. But demons from Ben's complicated past catch up with him-and his tough, oddly principled Daryl Gates-era partner, Miguel Marquez-all too quickly. From the moment Ben and Marquez hit the streets together, they're pulled into a web of ultra-violent corruption and retribution involving hardcore Crip gangbangers and tagalong gangsta-rap gloryhounds, L.A.'s Mexican Mafia, sleazy celebrity defense attorneys, and dirty cops with distinctly self-serving definitions of law enforcement. Ben is forced to choose among father figures and apparent destinies-trying to obey (and discover) his own moral principles as well as his desperate animal instinct simply to stay alive.”

Police-Writers.com now lists 93 police authors and their 250 books in six categories.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Global Alert Map

The global alert map, operated by the National Association of Radio-Distress Signaling and Infocommunications, Havaria Emergency and Disaster Information Services, Budapest Hungary, provides a fantastic near-real-time recap of world-wide events; everything from terrorist attacks in Turkey to an algae bloom in an Oregon lake.

Global Alert Map
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert.php?lang=eng

There is also a hyperlink to the map from the blog at
www.terrorism-online.blogspot.com

Raymond
www.police-writers.com

Friday, August 25, 2006

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 25, 2006

Over-the-counter medicine sales give early warning of pandemics, bioterrorism

“Self medicating with over-the-counter treatments by the public trying to treat cold and flu symptoms may be a key early warning indicator for biologically related illnesses .
Bracken Foster & Associates, LLC has recently been granted a United States Patent for their retail data biosurveillance solution offered through BioSentinel Solutions. The company says it may now play a major role in America's pandemic influenza and bioterrorism preparedness efforts. Current public health monitoring efforts focus largely on analyzing admissions activity at local emergency rooms and doctors' surgeries. While these efforts are important they may not provide adequate early warning. Research confirms that consumers self-medicate with OTC products long before seeing a doctor.” (Medical Technology Business Europe, 25Aug06)
http://www.mtbeurope.info
/news/2006/608031.htm


Mailings contained cornstarch

“Health care facilities across Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio were put on alert Wednesday after thousands of mailings from a New York-based company were found to contain a suspicious white powder. The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Plains Township contacted emergency personnel about 8:30 a.m. Thursday after receiving envelopes that contained the substance. The state Department of Health has since determined the powder was not hazardous and most likely was cornstarch, spokesman Richard McGarvey said.” (The Times-Tribune [Scranton, PA], 25Aug06, Wade Malcolm)
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com
/site/news.cfm?newsid=17109384&
BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=416046&rfi=6

Soldiers hone response to civil emergencies

“The scenario could be one of your darkest nightmares: a madman driven by an anti-American zealotry has shattered the peace of a major U.S. city. His weapon of choice? An aerosolized form of Y. Pestis [Yersinia pestis] bacteria, better known in medieval times as plague, and he has let it loose on America. Welcome to Sudden Response 2006. At Fort Monroe, Va., Joint Task Force Civil Support is writing – and rewriting – the way the
U.S. military responds to such dire circumstances. In the Joint Planning Group, procedures and lines of communication are plotted and established that will save lives if the scenarios ever become reality. Exercises such as Sudden Response 2006 allow the Department of Defense to determine how military elements function in civil emergencies, what resources can be used, what are distractions and what must be avoided.” (Army News Service, 23Aug06, SSG Andy Stephens)
http://www4.army.mil
/news/article.php?story=9445

Scientists seek answers blowing in the wind

“Aerobiology, or the study of the origins, effects and travels of biological particles in the air, is the focus of an international conference in Neuchtel this week. Scientists have gathered to discuss the wide-ranging implications of aerobiology, which extends far beyond pollen and hay fever. More recently, aerobiology has turned its sights on fighting crime and combating potential bioterrorism such as attacks using anthrax spores. ‘Methods for detecting a biological
terrorist attack are much the same as the ones we used to detect the arrival of ragweed,’ said Bernard Clot of MeteoSwiss. ‘We detect changes in the composition of the air.’” (NZZ Online, 25Aug06) http://www.nzz.ch
/2006/08/25/eng/article6999476.html

Animal experts discuss veterinarian shortage

“Animal experts met to discuss a growing shortage of veterinarians Thursday night, and what can be done to alleviate the growing concern. Joe DiPietro, Dean of the Veterinarian School and the
University of Tennessee, said there are 75,000 veterinarians nationwide. He said 28 colleges produce less than 3,000 new veterinarians every year. ‘There's a real concern that we will not be able to meet the needs not only in small communities but also public health activities they do like ensuring a safe food supply,’ he said. Animal experts at the meeting said the shortage goes far beyond caring for dogs and cats. The larger the animal, the smaller supply of people to care for those animals said many on the panel. With worries ranging for bioterrorism to Mad Cow Disease, state agricultural experts said the need for enhanced regulation is bound to expand.” (WBIR.com, 25Aug06, Dan Farkas)
http://www.wbir.com/news
/local/story.aspx?storyid=37252

Chairman Linder [of Homeland Security Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack] Holds Homeland Security Field Hearing

“On Thursday, August 24, Congressman John Linder (R-GA), Chairman of the
Homeland Security Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack, held a field hearing entitled, ‘Agro-terrorism's Perfect Storm: Where Human and Animal Disease Collide,’ at the University of Georgia in Athens._ The Subcommittee hearing focused on the threat of zoonotic agents because these diseases that can be transmitted from animal to human are particularly relevant given the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe. The purpose of the hearing was to increase awareness of the relationships between these diseases, bioterrorism and agro-terrorism, examining Federal prevention and preparedness strategies in this area, analyzing various agencies' approaches and priorities in combating agro-terrorism and the threats caused by these diseases.” (The Weekly, 24Aug06) http://www.theweekly.com
/news/2006/August/24/Linder.html

Pentagon agency OKs chemical demil funds

“A key Pentagon agency has recommended spending $1.5 billion over the next five years to destroy chemical weapons here and at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky. While the move will commit the Defense Department to supporting the projects, it fell short of what the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternative program wanted, according to John Klomp, chairman of the Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens Advisory Commission.” (The Pueblo Chieftain, 25Aug06, John Norton)

http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1156513605/10

Army system completes latest Delaware deployment: Six World War I-era chemical munitions destroyed

“The
U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency (CMA) completed the environmentally safe treatment of six mustard agent-filled chemical munitions here Wednesday. Using a transportable technology called the Explosive Destruction System (EDS), the agency’s Non-Stockpile Chemical Materiel Project (NSCMP) safely destroyed the World War I-era munitions. The items had been stored here in a secure area since recovered at a Delaware seafood processing plant earlier this year.” (U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency, 23Aug06)
http://www.cma.army.mil
/docviewerframe.aspx?docid=003675919

Doomsday cult chemist appeals death sentence

“A chemist sentenced to death for leading a doomsday group's efforts to develop nerve gas used in a 1995 attack on the Tokyo subways that killed 12 people has lodged an appeal with Japan's top court, officials said Thursday. Masami Tsuchiya, convicted in 2004 of murder in the subway gassing and other attacks by the cult AUM Shinrikyo, lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court, according to a court official who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing protocol. The Tokyo High Court turned down Tshuchiya's appeal of the 2004 ruling earlier this month.” (msn News, 24Aug06, Mainichi Daily News)
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news
/20060824p2a00m0na023000c.html

First Responders Train For Terror Attack

“The Dayton
Police Department is hosting a week long disaster training drill to insure all area departments are up to speed on the latest terror tactics. SWAT Teams shot down four terror suspects inside U.D. Arena Thursday, but they were not quick enough to stop a dirty bomb from exploding. Fortunately this scenario was just a drill, but officers said in real life, the arena would likely be filled to capacity, with many lives at stake.” (wdtn.com, 25Aug06, Mandi Sheridan) http://www.wdtn.com
/dsp_story.cfm?storyid=54373&RequestTimeout=500

[California State] Legislature passes resolution supporting veterans’ rights

“The California State Legislature passed with a unanimous vote a resolution authored by Sen. Wesley Chesbro (D-Arcata) supporting federal legislation known as the Veterans Right to Know Act. The federal legislation, authored by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, is currently under consideration by the House. SJR 23 expresses the support of the California State Legislature for establishing a federal commission to investigate a Vietnam-era U.S. Defense Department weapons research program known as Project 112/SHAD. Between 1962 and 1974, this program exposed nearly 6,000 unknowing American servicemembers to deadly chemical and biological agents, including: VX nerve gas, Sarin nerve gas, Tabun nerve gas, Q Fever and Tularemia. Many of the veterans exposed to these agents have since experienced serious medical problems.” (The Eureka Reporter, 24Aug06)
http://www.eurekareporter.com
/ArticleDisplay.aspx?ArticleID=14239

St. Johnsbury [Vermont] firm awarded $7M military contract

“Mobile Medical International of St. Johnsbury will receive a $7.1 million contract from the
U.S. Army to further develop the company's advanced, deployable medical shelters for use in combat, the office of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., announced this week. Mobile Medical's 21st Century Military Hospital System protects both medical personnel and wounded soldiers from nuclear, biological and chemical agents, the company says. According to the company, the units are designed to allow medical teams in the field to choose a configuration that provides a variety of medical care, from triage and emergency room care, to diagnostics and treatment or laboratory functions. The self-contained units of the system integrate all primary systems needed to operate the facility, including power, lighting, medical gas and air filtration. The facilities can expand to support up to 500 beds in under 15 minutes.” (Rutland Herald, 24Aug06) http://www.rutlandherald.com
/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060824
/NEWS/608240339/1011/BUSINESS

Invention Targets
Terrorist Weapons

University of Wyoming researchers have developed and patented a technology that can rapidly detect explosives such as the liquid compounds that were part of a recently-thwarted plot to detonate bombs on as many as 10 U.S.-bound airliners. Pat Sullivan, a professor in the UW Department of Chemistry, is one of three scientists who received a patent for sensors that can be made to rapidly detect volatile chemical targets. ‘We have developed a portable, lightweight system that can detect explosives used in bombs, accelerants used in arsons, biological species used in biological weapons, if fact, it can be used to detect any compound for which an antibody can be made,’ says Sullivan, who holds the patent along with Lew Noe, UW professor emeritus of chemistry, and former UW Professor John Bowen, now on the faculty at the University of Central Oklahoma.‘Even more important, this technology can detect specific compounds in liquids and in air and could be applied to prevent terrorist acts.’”
(Newswise, 24Aug06)
http://www.newswise.com
/articles/view/523019/

Scant oversight of truck weight raises safety fear

“Every day, nearly half of the 2,500 trucks streaming out of the Port of Miami-Dade carry heavier loads than the law allows. Overweight trucks damage roads and can endanger motorists. But since 9/11, failures to stop and inspect the trucks also represent a weak link in the federal government's efforts to stop
terrorists from smuggling a dirty bomb or other weapons inside cargo containers, experts say. The fear: A terrorist places a bomb or weapons inside a container after it has left the factory in another country. When it arrives at the port, no one notices it's heavier. And because of a lack of enforcement, it's allowed to leave with little or no examination.” (Miami Herald, 24Aug06, Steve Harrison)
http://www.miami.com/mld/
miamiherald/news/15347639.htm

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Eleven tactics improve your interview score

1. BE THAT PERSON
2. SHINE OR DIE
3. KILL THE BEAST
4. RECON NOW
5. DON’T LIE – PRETEND
6. KSA OR ELSE
7. SMOKE ‘EM OUT
8. RECOGNIZE, DON’T MEMORIZE
9. IT AIN’T WALL PAPER
10. CLOSE ‘EM OUT
11. THE RAMBLING MAN

Read the article at:
http://www.criminaljustice-online.com/forum9/354.html

Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial

On June 19th, 2004, a granite wall commemorating the soldiers who have died in the recent Middle East Conflicts was erected in Marseilles, Illinois. The wall is over 50 feet long and stands six feet high. As of March 6, 2005, the names of 2500 soldiers, marines, sailors, airmen and coastguardsmen who have fallen in Middle East Conflicts since 1980.

You can visit the website at http://www.ilfreedomrun.org/

Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary Thursday, August 24, 2006

"Alaska's Wireless Net Built for Emergency"
Network World (08/22/06); Marsan, Carolyn Duffy

A unique partnership between federal, state and local government agencies in Alaska helped build the Alaska Land Mobile Radio (ALMR) system, a new $120 million wireless network for emergency communications. The system uses emerging IP-based standards to give federal agencies such as the Department of Defense, all state agencies, and local police and fire departments a common communications infrastructure. The P25-compliant system has four components: Highway coverage, which includes the installation of fixed wireless assets including towers and antennas to cover highways; in-building coverage, including federal buildings, airports, hospitals, and tunnels; gateways for legacy radio systems as well as maritime and cellular systems that do not support P25; and transportable systems, which can provide emergency communications beyond the fixed wireless infrastructure, replace a system that has failed, or provide additional capacity. ALMR, which currently has 9,000 users and has room for 5,000 more, has already been used in military exercises and real-world operations. In December 2004, a task force in Valdez, Alaska, used the system to protect the trans-Alaska oil pipeline system--an operation that involved officials from the FBI, the Alaska National Guard, the Alaska State
Police, and Valdez police, fire, and emergency response, among others. "The after-action report was excellent," said Tim Woodall, ALMR program manager for the Defense Department in Alaska. "The system provided secure, on-demand communications." http://www.networkworld.com
/news/2006/082806-wireless-alaska.html

"Inmate Alert to Expand to Area Jails"
Newport News Daily Press (Va.) (08/19/06) P. C1; Williams, Beverly N.

Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine wants to broaden the state's Victim Information and Notification Everyday (VINE) system to include local and regional prisons. VINE, which is currently being used primarily by the state's jail system, notifies crime victims of inmates' status changes. Kaine says it may take 2.5 years for the system to be expanded to include city, county, and regional prisons, which currently rely on manual reporting. VINE is an automated criminal tracking and notification system developed by Appriss that scans prison lists every 15 minutes and is capable of transmitting data via the Internet, emails, and automated telephone calls; individuals can also access the data through a toll-free number. VINE is a collaborative effor of the state, the Virginia Sheriff's Association, and the Virginia Community Policing Institute. A grant of $1.25 million from the U.S. Bureau of
Justice Assistance will fund the initial phase-in, and the state's annual cost is estimated to be approximately $600,000. Notifying victims of whether criminals have escaped, been released, or been transferred is a right under the state's Crime Victim and Witness Rights Act.
http://www.dailypress.com
/news/local/dp-01165sy0aug19,0,6695961.story?coll=dp-news-local-final
"Plans Speed Up to Replace Radio System"
Stamford Advocate (CT) (08/15/06); Springer, Brooke

A $15.2 million effort to replace Stamford, Conn.'s out-of-date emergency radio system may be implemented by the end of next year, two years sooner than previously expected. The city is near an agreement with one of two vendors: Motorola, which bid around $12 million, or M/A-COM, which bid around $14 million. The precise figures are being discussed. Stamford officials hope to present a contract to the Board of Finance prior to its next meeting on Sept. 14. The city's present communications system has a tower on top of Government Center and another backup tower at the Long Ridge Fire Company. The system has disintegrated greatly over the last two years, costing Stamford millions of dollars in repairs, according to financial papers. Stamford has earmarked $12.8 million to lease or purchase land to erect two more transmission towers and implement equipment in this fiscal year, and another $2.4 million in federal
homeland security money has been received. Republican Town Committee chairman Christopher Munger wants Stamford to have the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center offer a free look at the consultant's proposal.
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com
/news/local/scn-sa-radio4aug15,0,696794.story
?coll=stam-news-local-headlines

"$6.5M Step Toward Public Safety"
Bergen Record (NJ) (08/15/06) P. L1; Brubaker, Paul

A $1 million U.S. Department of
Homeland Security grant will allow Passaic County to build a $6.5 million fiber-optic data and voice network to link the county Prosecutor's office, Sheriff's Department, and 16 municipal police departments. "It's important that our law enforcement be able to communicate for security services without using the can and the string," said county board director Elease Evans in justifying her approval of the project. Gerald Volpe, county purchasing director, said the network will pay for itself within three years through the avoidance of costs associated with recurring phone charges and other communications fees. http://www.northjersey.com
/page.php?qstr=eXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXkyJmZnYmVsN2Y
3dnFlZUVFeXk2OTc2MTU3

"LAPD to Get 300 Video Cameras in Cars"
City News Service (08/16/06); Marroquin, Art

The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved a plan to install digital video cameras on the dashboards of 300 police cruisers by the start of next year as part of efforts to comply with a settlement reached with the U.S.
Justice Department to avoid litigation over perceived civil rights violations. The mayor had set aside $5 million for the initiatives in his spending plan, which was subsequently rejected, requiring the LAPD to solicit bids for camera systems. The cameras would start recording when a cruiser's lights and siren are turned on to ensure officers are not making stops due to the color of drivers' skin alone. The video would be transferred to computers at district stations wirelessly for access by supervisors. An internal LAPD report said installation in all its roughly 1,600 police cars could save the department $3 million annually in costs linked to conduct investigations. http://www.officer.com
/article/article.jsp?siteSection=1&id=32162

"Panel: Victims Need Early Warning About Paroled Sex-Offenders"
Associated Press (08/15/06); Thompson, Don

High-risk sex offenders' victims in California and the communities they would reside in following their release from jail would receive early warning when offenders are set to be paroled, under suggestions published on Aug. 15 by a task force established by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. In addition, offenders should be tracked closely with satellite monitoring and polygraph tests, the High-Risk Sex Offender Task Force recommends. The task force suggests that victims should be informed 90 days prior to the release of the individuals who attacked them, while area law enforcement agencies should be granted 60 days' notice. Schwarzenegger instructed the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to start adopting suggestions in the report, which is one of numerous initiatives occurring in California to toughen sex-offender laws. The Legislature is thinking about separate sex-offender legislation, and voters will be asked to vote in November on Proposition 83, also known as Jessica's Law, a measure that would make numerous sex offenders sport satellite-followed monitoring devices forever and ban them from residing with 2,000 feet of a school or park. Of around 10,000 sex offenders who are paroled, the task force states around 3,200 are regarded as most likely to perform new crimes. These parolees need to receive intensive treatment three to five years prior to their release and continual monitoring after they are paroled, the report says.
http://www.mercurynews.com
/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/
california/northern_california/15281108.htm

"Eyeing Auto Thieves"
Government Technology (08/06/06) Vol. 19, No. 8, P. 50; McKay, Jim

New technology that reads license plates can help
law enforcement officials locate stolen vehicles. The technology scans cars that are moving and parked, reads and connects the license plates with stolen or wanted plate numbers listed in a database, and informs the officer through an alarm, all in a matter of seconds. The Ohio State Police Department was one of the initial agencies to use the technology, equipping an area turnpike two years ago with a pair of stationary Remington Elsag devices that read license plates. Since then, state police have found 69 stolen vehicles due to the system. Numerous vendors make license-plate-reading technology, including DataWorks Plus, which resells Pips Technology. The system has a camera that scans license plates and reads them. A police car can be outfitted with as many as four cameras that can scan 1,000 license plates each hour. Every camera has three elements: An LED infrared component that functions like a flashlight shining over the plate; an infrared component to permit the camera to see both night or day; and a charged-couple video camera, which records a color "overview" of the vehicle itself. http://www.govtech.net
/magazine/story.php?id=100361

"Texas Funnels Grants to Homeland Security Projects"
Government Computer News (08/18/06); Lipowicz, Alice

Texas Gov. Rick Perry says the state will provide $86 million from federal
homeland security grants to the Texas Data Exchange System and for electronic fingerprinting equipment. The Web-based data network will link more than 2,000 law enforcement databases in Texas, while the fingerprinting equipment will be used in 184 counties. Law enforcement will be able to use electronic scanners to submit fingerprints and receive results in just seconds. The database will be accessible to the state's 70,000 police officers, who will also be linked to federal databases. "In the post 9/11 environment, these technologies are important for the safety of Texans, and they build on the priorities Texas established in its Homeland Security Strategic Plan," says Perry. "Information sharing between law enforcement agencies is the foundation of a secure homeland, and these priorities allow Texas to build that foundation." http://www.gcn.com
/online/vol1_no1/41728-1.html

"Washington State Patrol Uses Technology to Catch Violent Criminals"
States News Service (08/16/06)

The Washington State Patrol reports that they have enhanced their record system to help officers and troopers identify career criminals who possess firearms. This is a new way law enforcement in Washington can communicate with each other to augment safety. "At no additional cost to citizens of the state, this is another tool we use that will bridge the gap to help protect our officers and communities from armed career criminals," says Chief John R. Batiste, Washington State Patrol. Typically, state and local investigators are aware of the federal statute that says a person with three prior convictions for crimes of violence will go to prison for 15 years to life, if in possession of a firearm. These investigators generally already have close working relationships with agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which is the agency that enforces the federal firearms laws. "The federal laws are for the most violent and dangerous criminals in our communities; and the lengthy mandatory sentences allow us to get the worst of the worst off the street," says ATF Special Agent in Charge Kelvin N. Crenshaw. By automating the process and integrating it into the current system, the Washington State Patrol, and any agency using their system, can now immediately notify any officer or trooper when they contact individuals flagged as "armed career criminals." "The armed career criminal notification system now available to all law enforcement officers in the State of Washington is a great step forward to make sure they can go home at the end of their watch," says Seattle
Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske. This program still requires officers and troopers to use the same investigative techniques and protocols required by law; it is designed as a conduit for the sharing of information among law enforcement, and for the enhanced safety of officers and citizens throughout the state.
http://www.statehousenews.com

"Enforcement of Speed Limit With Cameras Debated"
Dallas Morning News (08/18/06) P. 8B; Heinkel-Wolfe, Peggy

The city council of Hickory Creek, Texas, by just one vote, has given the green light to the contentious use of cameras to enforce speed limits on Interstate 35E. According to the mayor, who cast the tie-breaking vote, the program would not cost the town a penny and ticket revenue would be shared with technology provider STS of Scottsdale, Ariz. But before the plan is implemented, it needs backing from the state Department of Transportation, which has already approved the use of cameras in stoplight tickets by classifying them as non-moving violations. The program, say opponents, could be viewed as a revenue grab by the town and faces enforcement issues if challenged in courts.
http://www.dallasnews.com
/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/denton/stories/DN-speedcameras_18wes.ART0.West.Edition1.3f56087.html

"Police Get Help in Fight Against Sex Crimes"
Duluth News Tribune (MN) (08/20/06); Nelson, Shelley

A $50 million grant from the U.S. Justice Department will allow the Fox Valley Technical
College in Appleton, Wis., to train members of law enforcement agencies in fighting online predators. The training will involve both technology and strategies and will also help boost data-sharing across agencies, according to Matthew Frank, Wisconsin Department of Corrections secretary. In addition to training, "the grant will be used to share information, to knit together technologies that are out there so law enforcement agencies who are investigating these criminals can share information, share leads, across not only county lines, but state lines" and eventually nationwide, said Frank. One of the developers of the county's approach is Lt. Tony Jones of the Ashland County Sheriff's Department, who has apprehended child sexual predators in Internet chat rooms after posing as a minor. Frank said the grant is a broadening of Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle's Sex Offender Apprehension and Felony Enforcement (SAFE) Initiative, under which teams of law enforcement agencies and prosecutors focus on unregistered sex offenders. The state has also created a list of the most serious sex offenders in the state, and 20 of 38 of them have been arrested since the onset of the effort in May. http://www.duluthsuperior.com
/mld/duluthsuperior/news/local/15318802.htm

"Demand on State Lab Has Soared"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (08/19/06); Nunnally, Derrick; Forster, Stacy

The use of
DNA testing in crime investigations is becoming increasingly common in Milwaukee County, even for less urgent cases such as burglaries and illegal gun possession. Such rising demands are creating a backlog at Wisconsin's state crime lab, which received more than 1,100 new cases in the first six months of 2006, a 20 percent increase over the previous year. The office of Wisconsin's attorney general, Peg Lautenschlager, issued a memo on Aug. 2 recommending that law enforcement agencies across the state begin "judiciously narrowing the number of samples" sent from each individual case to accelerate the handling of all cases. The memo also pledged improvements in technology, including robotics, as well as enhanced management to satisfy growing demand. Norman Gahn, lead DNA prosecutor in the Milwaukee County district attorney's office, says the Wisconsin Legislature should allot $3 million in emergency funds to outsource the backlog at the crime lab and another $2 million in January to handle remaining cases and expand the crime lab. Mark Dale, director of the Northeast Regional Forensic Institute at the University of Albany, says that in most states and nationally, only about one in three cases sent for DNA testing are actually completely tested due to ballooning demand and lack of resources. Dale says it is common for major investigations to involve more than 100 DNA samples. http://www.jsonline.com
/story/index.aspx?id=485679

"NENA Urges FCC to Heed Cyren Call's Spectrum Plan"
TelecomWeb (08/22/06)

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) is urging Congress and the FCC to back a proposal tabled by Cyren Call Communications for a national broadband network capable of integrating voice, data, and video on the 700 MHz spectrum band that broadcasters will have to relinquish by 2009 as they go digital. The plan has already gained backing from the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials International. NENA says the spectrum choice, being adjacent to the one already used by public safety, is key, warning that the United States will "lose a tremendous opportunity" to boost public-safety and first-responder interoperability if the spectrum "is auctioned off and lost forever."
http://www.telecomweb.com
/tnd/18810.html

"Go Wireless, But Go Safely"
Police and Security News (08/06) Vol. 22, No. 4, P. 11; Ashley, Steve

Although there are a number of advantages to connecting to the Internet via WiFi technology, including the ability to roam around with a laptop, using wireless technology presents several security risks that are not present when using wired Internet connections. Since a wireless signal does not necessarily stop at the walls of a building, unauthorized users outside may be able to receive the signal and hi-jack the user's Internet connection. Fortunately, there are a number of steps that WiFi users can take to help prevent this from happening. For starters, WiFi users should make sure that they have one of the two types of wireless security--Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and WiFi Protected Access (WPA)--enabled on their laptops and routers. WEP is an older specification that is fairly easy to break, while WPA is much more secure. In addition, WiFi users should go into their wireless access point's setup dialog and change the Service Set Identifier (SSID), which is the name of the network typically broadcast by the access point. The default setting is typically the brand name of the router. Users should also set the access point so that it does not broadcast the SSID, which can be accomplished by selecting a checkbox on the same setup page where the SSID name was changed. Finally, WiFi users should enable MAC filtering on their wireless access point. This prevents unknown users from accessing the WiFi connection. While these security measures will keep out honest people who accidentally access a WiFi network, someone who really wants to hack a network may still be able to do so.

http://www.policeandsecuritynews.com

"The Money Trail"
SC Magazine (07/06) P. 41; Kaplan, Dan

There is a robust online market for the selling of stolen personal information, and this illegal market depends on anonymous transactions to remain functional. The Internet provides people with the ability to hide while completing online transactions and visiting Web sites. In addition, many online payment transaction tools do not certify their users' identities, and so money can exchange hands though everyone remains cloaked, says RSA Consumer Solutions' Amir Orad. Web-based transaction services are the primary abettor of these anonymous monetary transactions for illegal goods, says Orad. Law enforcement often depends on tracing monetary transaction to locate
cyber criminals, and they consider cloaked payment systems a major obstacle. Stolen personal information can sell for as cheap as $2 per person, for so much of it is available flooding the market it drives prices down. E-Gold, founded 10 years ago, is a payment company that has become a favorite of cybercriminals. E-Gold executive Bill Cunningham says that while people can make payments using e-Gold anonymously, to put money in the e-Gold system or take it out requires a third-party provider which usually demands proof of identity. http://www.scmagazine.com

War on Terrorism Blog surpasses 500 entries

In June 2006, as he was researching book “From Cold War to Hot War: The New War on Global Terrorism,” author and lecturer Raymond E. Foster realized he was amassing a tremendous amount of research. Traditional academic research, open source information from the Department of Defense daily briefings, data from the National Counterterrorism Center and a host of daily, weekly and monthly news digests provided enough information to found a comprehensive blog on the War on Terrorism.

The blog includes original works like “Terrorism: Crime or Asymmetrical Warfare;” an effort to define terrorism in the context of American criminal justice. Other original works, like the analysis of world-wide attacks on
police officers provide important data, information and analysis for the development of “street” counterterrorism tactics. Indeed, that blog entry has been published by a number of American municipal police departments; and, translated by two foreign governments for use by their uniformed police officers.

In addition to monitoring domestic conditions and events, the blog has many entries detailing events overseas, specifically in the Middle East. While the blog reports on events, it also reflects many of the human experiences of American’s fighting terrorism abroad. For instance, in a recent entry, an Air Force Technical Sergeant describes how he was eating lunch in the break room when he felt as if he had been slugged in the arm and was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. At first, he thought the television exploded. In reality, a rocket sliced through the back of his left shoulder and peppered his hands and arms with metal shards. There was only one thing going through his mind at the time: "Survival! I just wanted to make it out alive," he said.

According to Sun Tzu, in “The Art of War, "Thus it is said that one who knows the enemy and knows himself will not be endangered in a hundred engagements." Mindful of the need to know ones self and the enemy, the blog contains hyperlinks to important documents such as the “Al Qaeda Training Manual” and “The United States Military Guide to Terrorism in the 21st Century.” Updated daily, the blog can be read at
http://terrorism-online.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 21, 2006

Disaster response trailer stolen

“A trailer filled with $95,000 worth of bioterrorism emergency equipment was stolen near a Riverside hospital overnight,
police said. Thieves cut a chain that held the 16-foot-long white trailer to a wrought-iron fence at an office-complex parking lot near Parkview Hospital sometime between 5 p.m. Thursday and 7:30 a.m. Friday, police spokesman Steve Frasher said. There were no hazardous materials in the trailer, he added. The stolen trailer is designed to be used to respond to bioterrorism incidents and hazardous-materials emergencies. Its only marking is a large ‘45’ painted on the side. It contains decontamination equipment, cleanup tents, showers and electric generators. ‘We're not certain who took it or if they even know what they have,’ Frasher said, adding that they have no indication of a motive. ‘We'd love to have those answers.’” (The Press-Enterprise, Inland Southern California; 18Aug06; John Asbury) http://www.pe.com/localnews
/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_C_trailer19.6c3544.html

Anthrax in Children Difficult to Detect and Treat, New Report Finds

“Difficulties in diagnosing anthrax may lead to dangerous delays in caring for children infected with this often-deadly disease, according to a new report from HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Treating pediatric anthrax is also a special challenge because most currently recommended therapies have not been widely used to treat children with the disease. The anthrax report was requested and funded by HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration.” (RedBolivia.com, 18Aug06)
http://www.redbolivia.com
/noticias/News%20in%20English/23869.html

$75.3 Million for Five New Engineering Research Centers

“The National Science Foundation (NSF) recently awarded $75.3 million for five new Engineering Research Centers (ERCs) that will develop cross-disciplinary research programs to advance technologies that address major societal problems and provide the basis for new industries. NSF supports ERCs for a maximum of 10 years while the centers develop a strong network of collaborations with industry leaders and a base of financial support that can sustain the center after ‘graduation’ from the NSF program. Including the new awards, NSF supports 22 Engineering Research Centers in the fields of bioengineering; earthquake engineering; design, manufacturing and processing systems; microelectronic and optical systems and information technology. Brief descriptions of the new centers follow. Synthetic Biology Engineering Research Center (SynBERC) will focus on synthetic biology, fabricating new biological components and assembling them into integrated, miniature devices and systems such as microbial drug factories or tools for seeking out and destroying cancerous tumors, pollutants or airborne warfare agents. Center researchers envision devices that incorporate "off-the-shelf" biological parts--whether enzymes, cells or even genetic circuits--with standardized connections that can even be integrated into non-biological systems.” (Technology News Daily, 21Aug06)
http://www.technologynewsdaily.com
/node/4158

Anthrax Detector Developed - Monoclonal antibody recognizes a specific sugar on the surface of anthrax bacteria spores

“Spores of the dreaded Bacillus anthracis have already been used as a bioweapon against the civilian population. Once inhaled, the anthrax pathogen almost always leads to death if the victims are not treated within 24 to 48 hours. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is thus vital. A team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich, the Swiss Tropical Institute, and the University of Bern has now developed a new immunological approach that can be used to specifically recognize anthrax spores. A number of tests for the diagnosis of anthrax already exist, including some highly accurate but also extremely complex, time-consuming, and expensive genetic methods. In contrast, immunological tests are very simple; however, it has not yet been possible to develop a truly reliable immunoassay. The similarity of the anthrax spore surface to the spores of other bacteria that commonly occur in humans has been a major problem: previous anthrax antibodies were not sufficiently specific.” (Innovations Report, 21Aug06)
http://www.innovations-report.de
/html/berichte/biowissenschaften_chemie/bericht-69261.html

Structure Of Key Enzyme In Plague Bacterium Found

“Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have solved the structure of a key enzyme from the bacterium responsible for plague, finding that it has a highly unusual configuration. The results may shed light both on how the bacterium kills and on fundamental cell signaling processes. The NIST team determined the three-dimensional shape of class IV adenylyl cyclase (AC), an enzyme found in plague bacteria -- Yersinia pestis -- by purifying and crystallizing the protein and using X-ray crystallography at the Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology to resolve its configuration. Adenylyl cyclase is a fundamental enzyme found in one form or another in organisms ranging from bacteria to mammals. It synthesizes cyclic AMP (cAMP*), an important signaling molecule that in turn triggers a variety of cellular processes.
Six distinct classes of AC are known, playing a wide variety of roles.
AC-II is part of the anthrax bacterium's killing mechanism, for example, while AC-III triggers adrenaline release in humans.” (Medical News Today, 21Aug06)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
/medicalnews.php?newsid=49951

Army burning mustard gas in Utah

“The
Army has begun draining and incinerating thousands of containers of mustard gas held in storage at a facility in the Utah desert. The project at the Deseret Chemical Depot, begun Friday, will last six to 10 years. It involves burning about 6,200 tons of liquid blister agent and is complicated by the presence of an estimated 800 pounds of toxic mercury.” (CNN, 19Aug06)
http://www.cnn.com
/2006/US/08/19/chemical.weapons.ap/

Saddam facing poison gas charges: Anfal campaign included deadly assaults on Kurds

“Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein will go on trial Monday accused of genocide and crimes against humanity in the so-called Anfal campaign of 1988. The series of deadly assaults in the Kurdish region included the former regime's alleged use of poison gas. Hussein and six co-defendants -- including Ali Hassan al-Majeed, a former Iraqi general known as ‘Chemical Ali’ -- are on trial in the Anfal case. All face charges of war crimes related to an internal armed conflict and crimes against humanity. Hussein and al-Majeed have been charged with genocide. The other defendants in the Anfal case are Sultan Hashem Ahmed, the
military commander of the campaign; Saber Abdel Aziz, the director of military intelligence during the campaign; Hussein Rashid, the deputy of operations for Iraqi forces at the time; Taher Ani, a former governor of Mosul; and Farhan Jubouri, former head of military intelligence in northern Iraq.” (CNN, 20Aug06, Joe Sterling)
http://www.cnn.com
/2006/WORLD/meast/08/20/saddam.trial/index.html

Defiant Saddam Hussein refuses to enter a plea at second trial

“A defiant Saddam Hussein shouted at prosecutors and refused to enter a plea Monday at the opening of his second trial, where he faces charges of genocide and war crimes connected to his scorched-earth offensive against Kurds nearly two decades ago. The trial begins a new legal chapter for the ousted Iraqi leader, who once again faces a possible death penalty for the killings of tens of thousands of Kurds during the Iraqi army's ‘Operation Anfal’ -- Arabic for ‘spoils of war.’ ‘It's time for humanity to know ...
the magnitude and scale of the crimes committed against the people of Kurdistan,’ the lead prosecutor, Munqith al-Faroon, said in his opening statement. ‘Entire villages were razed to the ground, as if killing the people wasn't enough,’ he said, displaying photos of dead mothers and children. ‘Wives waited for their husbands, families waited for their children to return -- but to no avail.’ The prosecution also accuses the army of using prohibited mustard gas and nerve agents in the campaign, and a map of northern Iraq in the courtroom had red stickers on locations where the weapons were allegedly used. The trial does not deal with the most notorious gassing -- the March 1988 attack on Halabja that killed an estimated 5,000 Kurds. That incident will be part of a separate investigation by the Iraqi High Tribunal.” (The Vancouver Sun, 21Aug06, AP)
http://www.canada.com
/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=fff0e677-93a1-415a-8842-df79d7a913bb&k=33023

Probe over nerve gas suspicion

“A Queensland company has been investigated by Australian Federal
Police over fears that a 100-kilogram medical drug shipment was diverted to Iraq and possibly turned into nerve gas. Documents show that in late 2002, as Australia geared up to support the US-led invasion to destroy Saddam Hussein's alleged stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, the federal police questioned Alkaloids of Australia about a shipment of the anti-spasm drug hyoscine sent to the Syrian pharmaceutical company Ibn Hayan in 2001. Hyoscine, also known as scopolamine, is widely used to treat stomach disorders, motion sickness and vomiting. But according to US and British military reports, the drug can also be used as an ‘incapacitating agent’, causing temporary delirium, abnormally rapid heartbeat and impaired vision.” (The Age, 21Aug06, Richard Baker) http://www.theage.com.au
/news/national/probe-over-nerve-gas-suspicion/2006/08/20/1156012411533.html

[U.S. Representative Edward] Markey rips Bush over delay in radiation pill handout: 2002 law mandated iodine [potassium iodide] tabs for public

“Bureaucratic red tape in Washington has left thousands of Bay Staters dangerously unprotected against lethal radiation that could leak from a terror strike or meltdown at local nuclear power plants, a Bay State congressman warned yesterday. Congress approved a plan three years ago to distribute potassium iodide to residents nationwide living within 20 miles of a reactor, but the plan has stalled, prompting U.S. Rep. Edward Markey to fire off a terse letter to President Bush. Distribution of the pills, which are also known as KI pills, were part of the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act passed in 2002. KI pills help absorb radiation and can thwart thyroid cancer if people take them soon after exposure. Studies have shown the pills could have severely reduced cancer caused by meltdowns at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl.” (Boston Herald, 19Aug06, Dave Wedge)
http://news.bostonherald.com
/localPolitics/view.bg?articleid=153483

Feds’ terror detection unit badly hobbled

“The federal research agency in charge of countering emerging terrorist threats such as liquid explosives is so hobbled by poor leadership, weak financial management and inadequate technology that Congress is on the verge of cutting its budget in half. The Homeland Security Department’s Science and Technology Directorate has struggled with turnover, reorganizations and raids on its budget since it was established in 2003, according to scientists, department officials and senior members of Congress. At the same time, the Bush administration’s overriding focus on nuclear and biological threats has delayed research on weapons aimed at aviation, a controversial choice that was questioned anew after a plot to blow up U.S.-bound airliners from London was made public Aug. 10.” (Fort Wayne, 21Aug06, Spencer S. Hsu, Washington Post)
http://www.gainesville.com
/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060821/WIRE/60820025/1117/news

Monday, August 21, 2006

Police-Writers.com adds the 92nd Police Author

August 21, 2006 (San Dimas, CA) Police-Writers.com, a website dedicated to police officers turned authors, has added its 92nd police author, Donald Harstad. Don, Vietnam veteran, joined the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department in 1974. During his 26 years with the sheriff’s department he has been a patrol officer, investigator and the Deputy Sheriff. Donald Harstad’s first novel, Eleven Hours, introduced the character of Carl Houseman, a deputy sheriff working in the Midwest.

According to Lesley Dunlap, of the Mystery Reader,
Eleven Hours is a classic page turner. “I had my finger poised on the on the edge of each page to flip to the next in a split-second,” Dunlap said. Dunlap went on to outline Harstad first novel:

“It's nearly midnight in mid-April. There is still ice and snow on the roads and the fields. The communications center of a small northeastern Iowa sheriff's department receives an hysterical call from a woman informing them that murders are being committed at an isolated farmhouse.”

“Houseman discovers the body of a man and his gravely injured dog. He is soon joined by another deputy. Exploring the crime scene, they are puzzled to see items that indicate strange religious practices. Not long afterwards, three more gruesomely mutilated bodies are discovered at a nearby farmhouse.”

“It soon becomes apparent that these crimes are linked to Satanic practices. The investigation will expand to involve the state police and a specialist from the
New York Police Department. The officers uncover the horrifying details of Satan worship which seems to include ritual sacrifice of a baby. Over the course of eleven days, the quiet existence of this rural community will be disrupted as the sordid details of the lives of the residents are gradually revealed.”

Police-Writers.com now lists 92 police authors and their 249 books in six categories.

Friday, August 18, 2006

CBR Weapons and WMD Terrorism News- August 18, 2006

*ImmuneRegen Announces Further Results From Anthrax Treatment Study

“ImmuneRegen BioSciences, a wholly owned subsidiary of IR BioSciences Holdings, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: IRBO), today announced further results from pre-clinical tests of Viprovex(TM) for possible use to treat the effects of pulmonary anthrax infection. ImmuneRegen is collaborating with Hyperion Biotechnology Inc. to perform these tests at Hyperion's research facility located on the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM) campus in Brooks City-Base, Texas.” (Medical News Today; 08Aug06)
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com
/medicalnews.php?newsid=49895


FDA, MIT to collaborate on drug safety

“The Food and Drug Administration and Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced Thursday an agreement to develop an automated system to detect unanticipated problems with prescription drugs and medical devices. The current system relies on the largely manual assessment of reports voluntarily submitted to the FDA, sometimes months or years after an event has occurred. As a result, potential problems typically are underreported, said Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the FDA's deputy commissioner for scientific and medical affairs. The [new] system would build on methods developed to identify infectious disease outbreaks, detect bioterrorism attacks and model the spread of bird flu, he said.” (San Jose Mercury News; 18Aug06; AP) http://www.mercurynews.com
/mld/mercurynews/living/health/15299189.htm


Neighbors challenge bio research lab

“Opponents of a proposed bioterrorism research laboratory at Boston University Medical Center won a victory last week when a state judge ruled that the basis used to approve the so-called Biolab was “arbitrary and capricious.” Responding to a lawsuit filed by 10 area residents who were concerned about the public health implications of the lab, Suffolk Superior Court Judge Ralph D. Gant ordered further study and consideration of alternative sites and worst-case scenarios.” (People’s Weekly World; 17Aug06; Jose Cruz)
http://www.pww.org
/article/articleview/9698/1/336


Bioterrorism Preparedness Training offered in Paris [Illinois]

“Community Hospital/Family Medical Center along with the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Western Illinois AHEC, and SIU Telehealth Networks and Programs will stage a Bioterrorism Preparedness Training via videoconference on Aug. 25 in the medical library at PCH. The training will address the impact of a bioterrorism event on special populations — pediatrics, geriatrics, disabled, women who are pregnant and/or breastfeeding and people with compromised immune systems.”
(Tribune-Star; 16Aug06)
http://www.tribstar.com
/local/local_story_228232239.html

The Biodefense Race

“The federal government’s $28 billion crash program to defend against a bioterror attack is beginning to show up in cities across the country. The FBI headquarters, the World Bank and several other potential terrorist targets in the nation’s capital have been outfitted with new germ-killing, air-purifying filters. In dozens of other larger cities, technicians now routinely retrieve air samples to test for killer anthrax spores, smallpox virus particles or other germs.” (The Kansas City Star; 18Aug06; Greg Gordon; McClatchy Newspapers) http://www.kansascity.com
/mld/kansascity/news/15300443.htm

Post office simulates anthrax discovery

“Figures in biohazard suits scrubbed each other in a parking lot while evacuation team members guarded gates nearby. The drill Wednesday afternoon simulated the discovery of anthrax at Bloomington's [Illinois] U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution facility, 1511 E. Empire St. Despite a sign that indicated it was only a test, the postal inspectors in full-body hazardous materials suits drew stares from passing motorists and nearby residents on Fairway Drive.” (Pantagraph.com; 17Aug06; Greg Cima)
http://www.pantagraph.com
/articles/2006/08/17/news/117746.txt

Anthrax antibiotics offered to 56

“A total of 56 people have been given precautionary antibiotics after a suspected anthrax death in the Borders. Christopher "Pascal" Norris, from near Hawick [Scotland], died last month from blood poisoning which tests showed was most likely caused by the infection.
NHS Borders said the victim made artworks and musical instruments, some of which involved untreated animal hides which may have contained anthrax spores. Officials have been trying to trace people who have been in his house during the last four weeks in case they have touched the infected hides and contracted the infection.” (BBC News; 18Aug06)
http://news.bbc.co.uk
/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/south_of_scotland/5262660.stm

Canada kicks in [assistance for Russian CW demilitarization]

“Canada has pledged millions to help fund the destruction of Russia's chemical weapons arsenal, the international body charged with overseeing the process announced yesterday. The $100 million Cdn will be spent on two special weapons destruction facilities in Russia, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in a statement. Canada joins other international donors including Britain in helping fund a new plant being built in Kizner, 1,000 km east of Moscow, where two million artillery shells and munitions loaded with 5,700 tonnes of nerve agent are to be destroyed.” (Edmonton Sun; 17Aug06; AP)
http://www.edmontonsun.com
/News/World/2006/08/17/1760075-sun.html

Death upheld for doomsday chemist

“A Japanese court on Friday upheld the death sentence of a chemist convicted of leading a doomsday group's efforts to develop nerve gas used in a 1995 attack on the Tokyo subways that killed 12 people, a court official said. The Tokyo High Court turned down the appeal filed by Masami Tsuchiya, 41, a court spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity, citing court policy. She refused to offer any other details.” (CNN.com; 18Aug06; AP)
http://www.cnn.com
/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/08/18/japan.cult.ap/

Sweden fears impact of Baltic Sea pipeline

“The Swedish government said it feared that a German-Russian project to build a gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea could damage the environment and stir up long-buried toxic materials. Russian energy giant Gazprom, the controlling partner in the bilateral consortium slated to build the 1,200-kilometer (740-mile) pipeline, reacted later in the day, saying the project was ecologically sound and could actually prove beneficial in cleaning up the sea floor. Even in seeking to reassure critics, however, a spokeswoman for the consortium quoted by Russian news agency Interfax, Irina Vasilyeva, acknowledged that the proposed route of the gas pipeline had been altered due to the presence of chemical weapons and buried munitions. (TODAYonline; 18Aug06; AFP)
http://www.todayonline.com
/articles/137271.asp

Smiths Detection Supplies Lightweight Chemical Detector To Advanced CBRN Detection Robot

“Smiths Detection, part of the global engineering business Smiths Group, has been selected by US Army's Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center to supply the Lightweight Chemical Detector (LCD) for use with a new advanced reconnaissance robot. Under the CBRN Unmanned Ground Reconnaissance Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program, Edgewood Chemical and Biological Center will fit iRobot PackBot robots with the Smiths Detection LCD. The LCD detects a wide range of chemical warfare agents including nerve, blister, blood and choking agents.” (ChemicalOnline.com; 17Aug06; Smiths Detection) http://www.chemicalonline.com
/content/news/article.asp?docid=e6b4aa2c-2e51-
492d-8a72-f4e72268a819&atc~c=771+s=773+r=
001+l=a&VNETCOOKIE=NO

*Day Two of Nuclear Attack Drill

“Wednesday marked day two of a drill, testing our emergency response to a possible nuclear attack. Day one was about the government's response; Day two is about treating victims. Volunteers played victims hurt by a dirty bomb to prepare hospital workers for a real nuclear explosion. The Queens Medical Center is the only trauma center in the state and would deal with the greatest number of victims. So more than 800 staff members learned the drill of radiological decontamination, and other healthcare workers took notes.” (KGMB9 news; 16Aug06; Sabrina Hall)
http://kgmb9.com
/kgmb/display.cfm?storyID=8963&sid=1205

Terror and the black market

“Some sellers in the nuclear black market are amateurs trying to make a quick buck; others are far more dangerous. A serious fear is that organised crime recognises the profits and could move in to fill the vacuum. As international organised crime networks increasingly overlap and even merge with terrorist networks, this could be a route for terrorists getting hold of technology or nuclear material.” (The Australian; 19Aug06; Gordon Corera) http://www.theaustralian.news.com
.au/story/0,20867,20174119-28737,00.html

Law Enforcement & Corrections Technology News Summary Thursday, August 17, 2006

"System Helps Fight Crimes More Efficiently"
Contra Costa Times (CA) (08/13/06); Kazmi, Sophia

Law enforcement agencies in both Alameda and Contra Costa counties have created their own technology systems that allow officers to conduct database searches by inputting a suspect's name or a license plate number. Officers in Alameda County can search a number of databases in the county and those operated by other law enforcement agencies. Officials note that the technology enables officers to obtain information much faster by eliminating the need to contact other agencies and wait for results. Police officers can conduct the searches via laptops in their police cruisers. The technology uses a secure wireless connection to access databases, and costs roughly $10,000 to install in each police car. Contra Costa County began using its Automated Regional Information Exchange System in 2004. The system gives officers the same capabilities as their counterparts in Alameda County. The Department of Homeland Security paid a portion of the roughly $1.5 million cost of installing the system.
http://www.contracostatimes.com
/mld/cctimes/email/news/15265014.htm

"Jeannette Police Add Mobile Computers"
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (08/14/06); Paterra, Paul

The Jeannette
Police Department in Pennsylvania recently obtained a mobile-data system that lets officers input, access, and swap information more rapidly and precisely. The technology was provided by In-Synch Systems, which focuses on data-sharing technologies for police. Officers on patrol previously had no access to the department's records system, according to Jeannette police Chief Jeff Stahl, but now they have access immediately at the scene. This will enable officers to spend less time on paperwork, suggested Mayor Michael Cafasso. Funds for the project came from a federal grant via the Office of the National Drug Control Policy's Counterdrug Technology Assessment Center, which is overseen by the U.S. Army. The grant covered software, five software licenses, a server, two work stations, and four hours of training for the majority of the department's 14 officers. Stahl chose to purchase three notebook computers for use in the police cars, adding that the cars have mounts to allow the computers to be "transferred from car to car, or they can be brought in the station and used." The computers will enable such things as looking up suspects' photos and past criminal record. "If we dealt with [someone], it's going to pop up with that person's picture and all the information," Stahl said.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com
/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_465992.html

"Future Technology May Sniff Out Dangerous Liquids in Bags"
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (08/11/06); Johnson, Mark

Research is being done on how to develop a new airport scanning device that can search luggage for dangerous liquids through the use of light beams and electrons. Passenger carry-on bags are still being checked with the same scanning tools that were used before the Sept. 11 attacks. The machines do not analyze the content of liquids inside the luggage. A 2004 National Academies report found that airports use an ion mobility spectrometer which lets security wipe luggage to check for residue, but the if the luggage has been cleaned, residue may not be easily detected. The equipment cannot screen a passenger's skin or clothes, "leaving a primary source of trace chemicals untouched," says the report. The
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is well aware of the threat posed by liquid explosives being carried on an airplane. Substances used in nail polish remover, an antiseptic, and glycerin used in soaps and beauty products may all be used to make explosives. The bureau has 94 explosives-sniffing dogs as well as an additional 63 dogs trained to detect 19,000 different explosive odors, along with 320 agents who are certified explosives specialists. Owen Cote at MIT's Security Studies Program says it may take several years to develop new airport scanning technology, which is well worth the wait. "You can literally interrogate luggage through the bags," says Cote. "But that's exotic, exotic stuff. They don't have it now. There are people working ferociously on this."
http://www.jsonline.com/story
/index.aspx?id=482183

"Officer Becomes Crash Reconstruction Specialist"
Telegraph (IL) (08/14/06); Ellis, Cynthia M.

Police officer Tom Kochan is the only certified crash reconstruction specialist in Wood River, Ill. Kochan obtained his certification from the Illinois
Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. William Webber, chief of the Wood River Police Department, noted that Kochan investigates crashes that result in fatalities or serious injury. Kochan completed coursework that emphasized mathematics and physics during his training as a crash reconstruction specialist, which also required him to finish four training programs provided by board-certified schools. Illinois is the sole state to launch an official program overseen by the Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Kochan uses his training to determine how fast vehicles are traveling at point of impact and other factors important to investigating serious accident scenes. Kochan notes that his reconstruction reports can range from 20 to 200 pages.
http://www.zwire.com
/site/index.cfm?newsid
=17050449&BRD=1719&PAG=461&dept_id=25271&rfi=8

"City Rolls Out Virtual Images"
Contra Costa Times (CA) (08/11/06) P. F4; Snapp, Martin

Berkeley, Calif., is employing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology to change complicated information into easily comprehendible images. A visit to the link at the city's Web site, http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/gis, presents a virtual image of a user's house that informs the user whether there is, for example, a creek beneath, as well as about permits, sewers, storm drains, and crime and traffic patterns in the area. A property can be accessed in multiple ways, including by address, owner of record, or simply by clicking on a map.
Police and fire departments typically utilize GIS to decide where to spend their resources. For example, a single click calls up a map of car thefts in Berkeley. GIS enables access to three separate databases: crime, demographics, and licenses. Most of the city's GIS specialists are located throughout Berkeley's staff, including the new crime analyst at the police department. Although certain residents expressed concerns at a recent City Council meeting that GIS technology might result in privacy invasions, Pat DeTemple, Berkeley's GIS division managers, notes that the data is already public.
http://www.contracostatimes.com
/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/
california/alameda_county/oakland_berkeley/
15250482.htm?source=rss&channel=cctimes_
oakland_berkeley

"Police Post Surveillance Images on Internet"
Tennessean (08/13/06); Bottorff, Christian

The Metropolitan Nashville
Police Department (MNPD) in Tennessee has started using the Internet to post surveillance pictures of crime scenes in an effort to gather tips from the public. Citizens are asked to notify the police if they recognize anyone in the online pictures. Images are displayed in a slide-show fashion, and in the past have included scenes from parking lots where the suspects are leaving in getaway vehicles. East Precinct detective Matthew Filter says the online pictures can be especially helpful if suspects have no prior criminal records. The images are posted on MNPD's Web site under the heading of "Crimes in Progress." MNPD has stepped up its public awareness efforts in recent months to increase the number of visitors to the site, which has produced more than 16,000 hits since it was launched in November. The department's Amanda Sluss says MNPD intends to "keep up" with advances in technology as they emerge. "We felt this was a new and innovative way to place photos and surveillance images of criminal suspects in a public setting," she says.
http://www.ashlandcitytimes.com
/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060813
/NEWS03/608130367/1291/MTCN01

"Technology Exists to Flag Explosives, But It Carries Costs"
St. Paul Pioneer Press (08/11/06) P. 12A; McCutcheon, Chuck

Some
security experts believe the airline industry should have already taken steps to counter the threat posed by liquids and other materials that can be used to make explosives. Charles Slepian of the Foreseeable Risk Analysis Center notes that examining the appearance of materials taken aboard airliners is inadequate for determining whether they are dangerous. Critics wants the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other agencies to respond more quickly to the threat posed by unconventional explosives. The TSA has invested money in researching security measures that could identify explosives, but Michael Greenberger, director of the University of Maryland's Center for Health and Homeland Security, believes more action is needed to implement the technology. Slepian notes that HiEnergy Technologies has created a system that has reportedly correctly identified explosives a total of 100 percent of the time during trials conducted by the U.S. Navy. However, critics warn that the airline industry should not spend too much on screening technologies at the expense of funding other security measures. http://www.twincities.com
/mld/pioneerpress/15246660.htm

"Project Aims for a Wireless Omaha"
Omaha World-Herald (NE) (08/13/06); Sloan, Karen

The University of Nebraska at Omaha has teamed with the city to create a proposal and price estimate for bringing no-cost wireless Internet to sections of Omaha, Neb. The objective of the project, known as Wireless Omaha, is to provide the service to users in the city for free, according to the university's College of Information Science and Technology's associate dean, Hersham Ali. Wireless Internet permits individuals with equipped computers and laptops to go online without being linked to cable or phone lines. If Omaha proceeds with plans for wireless "hot spots," users would be allowed to get on the Internet both indoors and outside. Wireless Omaha is being created with financing from a National Science Foundation grant of $500,000 to the university. Part of that grant is financing the network of university students who are devising the plan. In addition, the grant will finance the equipment required to bring wireless to Elmwood Park, the initial region scheduled to get wireless.
http://www.omaha.com

"Officials Plan to Monitor Greenway"
Contra Costa Times (CA) (08/11/06) P. F4; Heisler, Steve

In El Cerrito, Calif.,
police and parks officials are hoping to select an appropriate operating system to enable the monitoring of the Ohlone Greenway through surveillance cameras. A $350,000 Safe Route to Transit grant made the project possible, and the project involves a 2.5-mile paved trail, said El Cerrito environmental analyst Melanie Mintz. She said the cameras are expected to deter crimes. Det. Donald Horgan noted that most crimes along Ohlone tend to occur near Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations. Mintz and Horgan will choose the optimal wireless system to allow the monitoring of the trail from both the El Cerrito police station and squad cards. The cost is estimated to be $400,000, and officials are now focusing on MESH technology that offers more coverage and bandwidth compared to Wi-Fi, said Horgan. The technology might also be expanded in the future to allow access to police data. Horgan added that it will be necessary to choose a system that is compatible with the Richmond, Calif., dispatch center, which handles dispatch services for El Cerrito.
http://www.contracostatimes.com
/mld/cctimes/news/local/states/california
/contra_costa_county/el_cerrito/15250437.htm

"Santa Fe Police Go High Tech"
Santa Fe New Mexican (08/11/06) P. C1; Lopez, Henry M.

The Santa Fe
Police Department's installation of laptops with wireless Internet capability into squad cars will enable officers to issue computer-generated traffic tickets, rather than write by hand. Santa Fe Police Chief Eric Johnson says the computerization will free up officers at police headquarters who previously have inputted written citations into the computer system. This will enable police to provide more coverage of Santa Fe. The department at first is purchasing 13 laptops, and hopes to purchase 19 more down the road. The project cost $203,000, out of which $178,000 was provided by the state. http://www.freenewmexican.com
/news/47725.html

"South Sioux City Police Find Network a Key Tool"
Omaha World-Herald (NE) (08/13/06); Sloan, Karen

South Sioux City, Neb., has a municipal wireless Internet that enables the
police department to watch footage from any of the 135 city-wide mounted cameras through a laptop, while for instance sitting in a patrol car. South Sioux City is a large town of less than 12,000 residents and while use of the city wireless is free for city employees, city residents have to pay $40 per month for access. City Communications Director Lance Martin says the city also saves money from having free Internet access, and the police department says the wireless access on the road helps police offers share information.
http://www.omaha.com

"Psst, Your Car Is Watching You"
Time (08/14/06) Vol. 168, No. 7, P. 58; Roosevelt, Margot

Event-data recorders (EDRs) are microcomputers in black boxes concealed in a third of the cars now on the road. Though these microcomputers do not obtain voices in the event of a crash, as they do on airplanes, they can store as much as 20 seconds of information on speed, braking, and acceleration in the moments before a crash. The federal government is scheduled to publish this week regulations mandating auto manufacturers to standardize the recorders and make the data downloadable by everyone with commercial software. Certain consumer activists want stricter rules forcing carmakers to implement EDRs in each vehicle because objective crash information will result in design for better cars and highways. Meanwhile, privacy advocates want the government to keep police and insurance firms from looking at drivers' black boxes without approval. Police and legal prosecutors are lauding the EDRs, and in a minimum of 19 states, judges have allowed the information as proof in criminal trials. A Roman Catholic bishop in Arizona was found guilty in a hit-and-run accident after his car's black box revealed that he has braked prior to impact, showing that he had seen the pedestrian.
http://www.time.com/time
/magazine/article/0,9171,1223380,00.html

"Iris Scan Lets Officials See Who's Missing"
Tulsa World (OK) (08/10/06); Marshall, Nicole

Law enforcement officials in Tulsa and Oklahoma counties will now be able to immediately identify children and adults reported missing who have since been found with a new system based on iris recognition and biometric technology and made by Biometric Intelligence & Identification Technologies. Family members will have access to a nationwide network called the CHILD Project, which stores eye images of those who are registered. The catalog will then allow law enforcement officials in the missing person's jurisdiction to quickly confirm their identity. "We can take a photograph of the human eye, specifically the iris," said Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel. "The iris works really like a fingerprint, and there are no two irises alike." Kevin O'Reilly at Biometric Intelligence & Identification Technologies insists the technology is not designed to replace DNA, photographs, or dental records, but rather provide the sheriff with a high-tech tool to quickly find missing persons. The network and registry is currently used in 22 states with about 80,000 people registered, and costs $25,000.
http://www.tulsaworld.com
/NewsStory.asp?ID=060810_Ne_A13_Iriss68710

"Municipal Wireless Networks' Latest Rage"
Inside Bay Area (CA) (08/07/06); Grady, Barbara

A number of cities are considering launching municipal wireless networks that can provide residents with access to the Internet. Santa Clara, Calif., and Tempe, Ariz., are among a handful of cities that have launched their own Wi-Fi networks. Oakland officials are exploring options to launch the city's own Wi-Fi network, which could also provide Web access to
police, fire, public works, and recreation personnel. Creation of Wi-Fi networks requires the installation of wireless digital signal access nodes on tall buildings. Philadelphia is one of a small number of large cities in the country to support the launch of a Wi-Fi network for city residents. Both free and subscription services would be available through the city's plan. EarthLink is the main provider of Wi-Fi networks to cities, and will handle implementation of the technology in Philadelphia and collaborate with Google to install a system in San Francisco. Wireless Internet services can provide the same capabilities available via digital subscriber lines and cable modems. Installation of Wi-Fi networks is estimated to cost roughly $50,000 per square mile, according to research related to launching the technology in Philadelphia
. http://www.insidebayarea.com
/search/ci_4145964

"Keys to Fighting Crime May be Found on a Computer"
Morning Call (08/05/06) P. B3; Kraus, Scott

Software engineer Gary Lapinski is helping police in Allentown, Pa., analyze crime data. Lapinski's responsibilities include using crime data to detect trends in
criminal activity and locations of special concern to police. In addition, he will use the data to help the city launch a computerized reporting system and evaluate crime data to hasten 911 response times. Monthly fees paid by phone customers are being allocated to pay for 70 percent or more of the project, which has a yearly cost of $49,500. Other police departments and neighborhood watch groups will also have access to the crime data.
http://www.mcall.com/news
/local/all-b3_5crimeaug05,0,6867468.story

"Easy to Resell, Prepaid Phones Rankle Carriers"
Wall Street Journal (08/15/06) P. B1; Sharma, Amol; Chon, Gina

There is a large market in the resale of prepaid phones in which the phones are sold across state lines, shipped to non-U.S. countries, or sold on the black market for use by nefarious characters who need cell phones, but want to remain anonymous. In a recent incident in Michigan,
law enforcement arrested three men who had purchased massive numbers of cell phones from Wal-Mart, supposedly for resale in Texas. They were detained on suspicion of terrorism, however, because cell phones also can be used as detonators. Cellular telecoms retail prepaid phones at a discount, often below cost, in expectation that consumers will eventually order more advanced services on their prepaid phone. Prepaid phone sales have risen 44 percent since 2004 and reached $7.4 billion total in 2005. Verizon and TracFone have taken legal action to prevent resale of its prepaid phones, and Cingular Wireless restricts purchases of its GoPhone prepaid line to three phones per customer in order to preclude resales. The three men arrested purchased 80 cell phones, and a Wal-Mart employee who became suspicious of them tipped off police. Though they are still being detained, the FBI has said the men have no known links to terrorism.
http://online.wsj.com
/article/SB115560442291735762.html